Cleaning device



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1922.

Application filed September 30, 1921. Serial No. 504,320.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ross MILLHoUsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to cleaning devices, and is particularly adapted for the cleaning of the curved tubes of brass band wind operated musical instruments, such as trumpets, trombones, cornets, French horns, etc., where it is desirable and even necessary to keep the interior of such tubes free from all foreign matter and corrosive formations, due to the moisture from the breath of the performer, in order to preserve the clarity and sweetness of tone of the instrument, as well as to keep the same in a sanitary condition, and thereby preserve the health of the performer.

lThe object of my invention is to provide a device for the purpose above set forth, which will be simple and durable, and eificient in operation, to thoroughly clean both the straight and curved walls of instruments of the class above described, as well as'tubing of a similar nature.

The above and other objects will be more fully set forth in the following description, will be pointed out in the claims and will be embodied in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view of a wind instrument showing one of the tubes in section, and my device projected therein in operative relation therewit Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of my de-` vice, it being broken out in order to indicate that it may be of any desired length.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the brush end of the cleaner taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

My device comprises a flexible lineal member 5 of any desired length, having a cleaning member 6 mounted on one or both of its ends.

The lineal member 5 is preferably formed of a closely wound spiral spring formed of piano or other resilient wire which is capable of adapting itself to the various curves of the tubing of the instrument; and the clean- `ing member 6 preferably comprises a brush formed of bristles,

said brush being formed by the placing of the bristles between two pieces of soft wire 7 and then twisting the same together, one of the ends of the twisted wire member thus formed being free from the bristles and then wrapped with a thread and then screwed into the bore of the end of the lineal member 5, thereby forming a substantial juncture between the lineal member and the brush.

In operating the cleaner, it is first desirable to flush the instrument tubing with warm water in order to soften any accretions lodged therein, then insert the lineal mem` ber therein with the cleaning brush forward until the cleaning brush reaches the eXtreme end of the tubing, then progressively scour the walls of said tube by rapidly reciprocating the lineal member and at the same time twisting the same, and after a requisite number of strokes to cover a portion of the length of said tubing draw the lineal member and brush out for a suitable distance and repeat the process until the wall throughout the entire length of the tubing has been thoroughly scoured by the brush.

In some of the slides of the instrument the bend of the tubing is of such a small radius that it will be found more expedient to clean from both en ds of the slide toward said bend and in order that the brush may more readily enter this curve the twisted wire 7 to which the brush bristles are attached may be bent, thus giving a curvature to the brush for this purpose.

After the tubing has been scoured, additional warm water serted therein to rinse the same wiped and dried with another thoroughly may be inand may be cleaner, thus `thoroughly eliminating any accumulations in the tubing and making the same sweet and clear as well instrument perfectly sanitary.

What I claim is:

A wind musical instrument cleaner comprising a relatively long resilient lineal member composed of a spiral spring having its adjacent windings in contact, and a cleaning member formed of a wire doubled upon itself, bristles clamped between the doubled portion of the wire, and means encircling a portion of said wire for wedging the same within the coils of said lineal member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of September, 1921.

ROSS MILLHOUSE.

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